Category: Lifestyle

“Introducing qii, the worlds first drink that tackles your oral health so you can unleash the power within. qii is formulated with XyVita which works by reducing your mouth’s acidity and risk of tooth decay while freshening your breath.”

I know what you’re thinking “Uh Rena, this isn’t coffee.” and I know but I don’t ALWAYS drink coffee…I love water, tea, cranberry juice and a good ol’ Mountain Dew when there isn’t a cup of java in front of me. Plus, this qii drink has some benefits!

Anything that can help your oral health sounds good to me! Especially when it’s something you can easily carry with you when you’re on the go or just chillin’. Bonus, it quenches your thirst too!

SO, how does it taste?

Not bad actually!

There’s currently two flavors, Classic Oolong Tea and Lemongrass Ginger Green Tea. I’ve had the opportunity to taste both…yes, I’ll always be the guinea pig for you guys. Of those two flavors, my favorite is the Classic Oolong Tea. It wasn’t really sweet at all and didn’t leave an aftertaste (which I was definitely worried about.) The Classic Oolong tastes like regular tea so yay! The Lemongrass Ginger Green Tea ehhh not my favorite and it definitely leaves an aftertaste. I LOVE ginger so that wasn’t it so it had to be the lemongrass flavor that wasn’t best FOR ME. If lemongrass is your thing then this flavor is certainly for you! Other than that, I’m absolutely glad this new drink brand is getting off the ground and promoting a healthy oral mouth!

Sooo coffee lovers, the BIG coffee announcement from Starbucks … Blonde Espresso … what do you think? Gonna give it a try?

Photos via Starbucks.com

It’s that time of year again! Time for packing the shopping malls in search of the perfect gift for that perfect guy. Easier said than done of course. Well, I’m always here to help you with your shopping trip. Today, is a special feature for a great site called GroovyGuyGifts.com and yes, they’re really GREAT gifts!

This is the perfect gift for the guy who probably already has everything. With this personalized touch, he’ll be glad to show this off to everyone! The set features a shot glass and your choice of a knife or multi-tool that comes in a keepsake wooden box. All of which can be engraved.

I personally, opted to receive the shot glass and multi-tool not engraved, only because I was unsure of what to put on it. (Of course, totally regretting it now…just means I need to make a purchase for myself in the coming months.)

Speaking of other items, Groovy Guy Gifts has lots of cool items and great groomsmen gifts for those in wedding planning mode.

This wooden bottle opener can be engraved for everyone in your crew! Find it here: Snap A Cap

Full disclosure: I was given the opportunity to pick an item from the site, have it engraved and sent to me.

Coming for a Starbucks near you muuuhahaha (that’s my best scary laugh lol)

(photos via Starbucks.com)

UPDATE:

I TRIED IT!!!

You knew this would happen! So, the very next day, I decided to go out and try it (I also bought a caramel frappucino just in case this was god awful…gotta think ahead) The flavor was more mocha than green caramel apple to me. The apple flavor was more of an after taste but it wasn’t bad…I mean, it could’ve been worse. If you want to try it…go now…you have today (October 30th) and tomorrow (October 31st) ONLY!

The colorful frozen treat is filled with apple and caramel flavors. Not sure if I’ll grab one because these aren’t flavors that I particularly love BUT and that’s a big but…I don’t want to have FOMO (fear of missing out).

The Zombie Frappucino is only available between October 26th- October 31st so if you’re going to try it, you better hurry in to your nearest store and grab one!!

A colorful drink that no one thought existed until the week of April 17th. That’s when actual pictures of the mythical Unicorn Frappuccino drink surfaced (well, that’s when I saw actual pics.)

Starbucks then gave us a countdown til the release of the beast for consumption on April 19th! We wouldn’t know what it tasted like until you actually took a sip. Claims of color changing and flavor changing liquids are things for the science fair Gods but here we are as adults in 2017 getting hype for unicorns!

Now, of course, nothing in the coffee world that’s pink, blue or purple is acceptable but I didn’t want to be that person living with regret because I didn’t try this Unicorn Frappuccino. So, bright eyed and bushy-top knotted, I made my way to my favorite Starbucks to try it.

After chatting with my ever-so-peppy barista (seriously, Steve is the best) he handed me my very own sparkly unicorn!

Not an actual unicorn but this Unicorn Frappuccino will do! It is indeed color changing and flavor changing!

At first sip, it reminded me of those orange creamsicles that you could get off the ice cream truck back in the day (that is, if you’re old enough to remember.) The actual color of the drink started off pink with a blue drizzle strip in the middle and as the drink melted or got stirred it would change into a purple color! Whip cream was topped off with sour sugar that change the flavor of the drink if mixed in.

If you recall mixing your primary paints in kindergarten, you learned that mixing certain colors together gave you a whole new color!

The flavor wasn’t my favorite… Mostly because, I like a regular coffee frapp (clearly) and I don’t like the creamy fruit flavors of anything…or creamy slushes. It wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ever tasted ( I did read a few tweets on release day that people said it was disgusting and to each their own.)

As a limited time offering, it was worth it try the Unicorn Frappuccino from Starbucks but it probably wouldn’t be on my daily must-have list. Back to our regularly scheduled coffee.

‘Tis the season for snow, street fashion, and super models in New York!

New York Fashion week has kicked off and there’s a new sponsor in town. Lavazza coffee signed on to be one of the sponsors this fashion season and hosted a few tasting (tasty) events. The Lavazza Coffee Moment happening during NYFW at Skylight Clarkson Square in the Papyrus Café & VIP Lounge.

NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 10: Lavazza coffee and Papyrus cards on display at Lavazza Coffee Moment At NYFW VIP Lounge & Cafe at Skylight Clarkson Sq on February 10, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images for Lavazza)

NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 10: The menu at the Lavazza Coffee Moment At NYFW VIP Lounge & Cafe at Skylight Clarkson Sq on February 10, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images for Lavazza)

NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 10: Lavazza espresso on display at the Lavazza Coffee Moment At NYFW VIP Lounge & Cafe at Skylight Clarkson Sq on February 10, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images for Lavazza)

NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 10: Lavazza coffee served at the Papyrus cafe at the Lavazza Coffee Moment At NYFW VIP Lounge & Cafe at Skylight Clarkson Sq on February 10, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images for Lavazza)

Bummed, I’m not in New York to experience this particular event (and the many runway shows) because it sure looks delicious! Fellow coffee lovers that aren’t in NYC, we must converged one of these days!

Every time Valentine’s Day rolls around, people in relationships are hit with a dilemma: What am I going to get him or her for Valentine’s Day?!

If you aren’t asking yourself this question, congratulations, you are free to spend all your monies on yourself!

Maybe I’ll get around to a wonderful post on self-spending…oops…self-love.

In the meantime, let’s look around at gifts for our significant others.

The title of this post is not misleading, as you know, here at Curves And Coffee, I try to cover ALL spending levels. If you have $20 or less to spend or you’re balling out of control and spending upwards of $500 or more…I’ve got you covered! Below, you’ll find gifts for any girlfriend, boyfriend, spouse, or significant other in just about every category.

This is kind of a two-fer…for both him AND her! It can also just be worn for just yourself…a day or night when you just want to sleep sexily. If you haven’t checked out their complete Valentine’s Day Cacique collection, please do! If I could get every single sexy piece of lingerie, I would in a heartbeat!

Perfect for the amateur photographer or anyone who loves taking selfies. This camera is an update to the instant Polaroid of the “old days.” It instantly prints out the pics you take on a mini scale film. Bonus: it comes in different colors so your fashion forward significant other will love it even more!

Another versatile Valentine’s Day gift for him or her. A custom baseball jersey for your significant other would be a great way to cheer on their team before the MLB season gets underway. You can also get their favorite player if you don’t want to go the custom route or if you’re running short on time.

Everyone knows someone who wouldn’t mind an aged Scotch (well, I’m guessing here a tad but a lover of spirits will love this for sure!) Shock them with this gift and beautiful bottle for his bar. There’s also a great back story about the Chivas Brothers to go along with this brand. Be sure to sneak that into the gift-giving.

OK, let’s be real…you know she’s the boss but now everyone else can know it too! These are so very close to the $500 price tag that once you add tax + shipping (unless it’s free). You’ll get several frequent flyer miles on your card after this purchase!

Show her and tell her just how you feel with this gorgeous necklace. She’ll be glad you did!

Caribbean Cruise $Cost Will Vary

Because, who wouldn’t want to get away for a couple of days and hide from winter?! Count me in! Also, someone take me on a cruise! Let’s all pack up and enjoy lots of sunshine (with sunscreen of course) have some cocktails and forget about everything except your cabin key! I didn’t pick a particular brand or cruise line simply because everyone has their own preferences and that choice is best left up to you, the buyer. Before you cruise, do your due diligence in research…my favorite cruise site is Cruise Critic, check them out and read the forums for tons of cruising tips.

What a wonderful list of Valentine’s Day gifts, right?!

As always, if you do shop and buy something from any of my lists, drop me a line to let me know!

A certain aspect of Curves And Coffee is lifestyle. Whatever that encompasses, I like to share with you guys. Over the years, I’ve tried to give a glimpse of my favorite home design items by the way of chairs. It’s weird, I know, but it’s something about chairs that just draw me in. Show me an awesome chair and I can design an entire room around it!

As you can tell, I dabble in home decor and interior design. It’s literally one of my favorite things to do. I love it so much that I actually took a few courses on the subject…see…LOVE! You can see more of what I love by checking out some of my past “Daykoor” favorites just by clicking ->H E R E<-

Another not-so-secret thing about me…

Since I was a kid, I have been infatuated with Disney (Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse to be exact). The obsession is still around after all these years. When I was younger, my mom let me decorate my bedroom however I wanted. Of course, this meant there HAD to be some Disney magic sprinkled in there. Well, I went chic-ly overboard. Back then, we couldn’t find the perfect curtains so we shopped around and found a Disney shower curtain that was clear, added color blinds behind it and I had the most Disney-est window treatments in my childhood room. Added to that were Mickey & Minnie shaped rugs and a bed set to match.

Of course, now, I tend to keep my obsession to a minimum by having cute jewelry, a few pair of Vans x Disney shoes, and maybe a few throwback style tees and sweatshirts/hoodies. That means no more Minnie bed sheets these days, all sophistication around here. So I tell you all of this to share my excitement with a new home collection from Ethan Allen!

Total hysteria and love tears flowed when I got an email about a Disney home collection that’ll be available to purchase on November 18, 2016 (Mickey Mouse’s birthday!) There’s currently a presale with select items that you can purchase now and here are just a few of my faves, I mean, because…

Ok, so that was the happy part of the Disney x Ethan Allen collection…here’s the not-so-happy part…did you SEE those prices?

Everything. Is. Priced. To. The. Max.

Like, I get it. Life is expensive but a Mickey themed accent pillow shouldn’t be $200! Picture a cartoon with its’ eyes bugging out…that’s me when I saw $1,500! I’d be more than happy with $50 because even fifty bucks is a lot for a pillow BUT if I really want it, I’m definitely gonna spend. Of course what I truly need from this fantastical furniture collection is that chair! That would look great in a bedroom sitting area or in a dressing room/walk-in closet.

This may make me take a trip to Michael’s or Hobby Lobby and get crafting. Who’s with me?!

Let’s all get together and have a crafting session to come up with daykoor items that are fit for a Disney princess!

OK, this eyeliner tip is absolute genius! I’ve used countless liquid liners over the years but none like this! The shape allows you to get both a thick line AND a thin line just by simply turning the liner. There’s no hard work…just simply turn the liner in your hand, it’s all about how you hold it to create the perfect line you want! Downside to this great tip….it isn’t soft at all. It feels like a rough tip marker. I would love for this to go on smoother.

As for the mascara…it did show up as promised “four times more volume on natural lashes” so that’s a plus. It didn’t clump either…double plus! All the pics I took didn’t show how happy I was with using both of these which is a bummer but overall, I’m glad to have tried both.

Yes, I love me some coffee but I DO drink lots of tea as well. To be perfectly honest, I’ve only tried the the caffeine free Jasmine Green Tea…definitely floral and fragrant. It had a nice taste to it but not my cup of tea (no pun intended.) I’d love to try all the flavors of this brand one day…when I’m back on caffeine again. After visiting their website, I love everything that they’re doing for other communities and their blog with tons of recipes and such. Be sure to check them out.

Love leave-in conditioners! As a part-time curly hair girl, having a good leave-in on the days I go heat free and air dry is a MUST! The smell was nice and light…didn’t feel like it was weighing my already thick strands down. Bottom line, this just might be a new fave for me.

This polish was…meh. The application was smooth and I absolutely loved the fast drying top coat but the manicure didn’t last more than a couple of days. I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary during the time I had it on but it certainly started to chip on the SECOND day of wear. By the weekend, I was peeling it off by hand without polish remover. Not sure if I’d actually spend money on this brand of polish in the future. Perhaps, I might get one bottle just to see if it holds up better…I’ll keep you posted.

Despite being a “protein shake” (and chocolate…personally not a fan of chocolate, I know, I can hear you all screaming at me now) this shake was quite delicious! I already have shaker bottles so I used that one Saturday morning to mix up and I was good to go! I’d definitely buy these in other flavors like vanilla and please for the love of all things great, make a strawberry flavor!

Sooo yea! Crazy good goodies!

Disclaimer: These items were given to me for free by Influenster for my honest opinion.

Get excited fellow coffee lovers and connoisseurs, our holiday is finally upon us again! September 29th is here and it’s National Coffee Day! If you’ve followed me around for the last 4 years, you know I take this day serious!

Every year, select establishments that serve the drink we love so much will be offering some caffeine infused deals. Of course I’ve already done the digging for you so take a looksie below to see where to stop for a little (probably a lot) of java!

I think this list is getting shorter and shorter every year and that absolutely sucks! More retailers should take advantage of this day to give back to its’ loyalist of customers (just saying ya know).

Speaking of giving back…for National Coffee Day, Starbucks will donate a coffee tree for every brewed cup of México Chiapas coffee. So grab your dollars for the Mexico Chiapas so Starbucks can plant a tree! That’s definitely a win-win situation!

If you know of anymore deals, feel free to send them to me via Twitter or email!